


The Traveller

by leedonghyucks



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Dystopia, Fluff, M/M, Slice of Life, Strangers to Lovers, a bit - Freeform, i feel like im missing more stuff?, i guess u can consider this spooky? ish?, i know both of those tags contradict but just trust me on this okay, i'll edit the tags when i remember, idk about angst tho it's not that angsty, some serious stuff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-22
Updated: 2020-02-13
Packaged: 2020-10-25 23:54:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20732807
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/leedonghyucks/pseuds/leedonghyucks
Summary: *record scratch**freeze frame*[sirens going off in the background] yup, that's mark lee. you're probably wondering how he got into this situation.alternatively; uni student mark seeks refuge from his lackluster life and accidentally gets sucked into a dystopian young adult novel with lee donghyuck as the rebellion leader





	1. go

Mark Lee is your average university student. He regrets ever signing up for 8 a.m. tutorials, he contemplates why he chose Accounting and Finance as his major every three business days, and he had developed an unhealthy dependency on caffeine to get through his day.

There’s nothing  _ exhilarating _ about his daily life. He wakes up, he mentally prepares himself to actually get out of bed for approximately five minutes, and then proceeds to do just that. He gets ready and in less than ten minutes, he’s out of his cramped studio apartment in the middle of the city to face another full day of interest rates, the business cycle and financial reports.

Forty minutes into his last lecture for the day, Mark decided that he deserved a break. Sure, it was in the middle of Week Seven and he has his Finance mid-semester test this Friday and another two assignments due the following week, but enough was enough. He  _ just  _ completed three quizzes and submitted an assignment the week before, he  _ should  _ get a break, Finance be damned.

With that in mind, as soon as his professor had finished the lecture with a  _ “Remember to arrive at your exam venue 10 minutes before!”,  _ Mark had dashed out of the room and made his way to the city.

He had no specific destination in mind, not really. He was fairly new to the place, having only moved to Jeju from Seoul to pursue tertiary education. He never took the time to explore the place, already being swamped with work from day one but that day, it was going to change. 

Mark walked and walked, taking in the surroundings his feet had led him to. He discovered a total of three new cafes he had never even noticed before and made a mental note to check it out later. He walked past a group of teenagers lounging around an ice cream shop, yelling and laughing as conversation kept flowing. He even stopped by a bubble tea shop just to see what all the hype was about. 

After concluding that the bubble tea hype, started by K-pop boygroup EXO member Oh Sehun, was indeed justified, he turned to make his way back to his apartment. That is, until a small, quiet bookshop made itself known. Had Mark turned the other way, he would definitely have missed the store altogether, with it’s pale colour blending in with the other stores and it’s run-down exterior. 

Figuring that a few minutes in the store wouldn’t hurt, Mark ventured in. 

He was greeted with rows and rows of books. Some old, some new. The interior of the store was teeming with life, with people browsing through shelves, children shouting at their parents to  _ ‘look at the pretty pictures, ma!’  _ and flustered part-time workers telling the customers to  _ ‘let us put the books on the shelves thank you very much!’ _ .

Mark was confused. From the outside, it looked like no one even knew of the existence of the quaint bookstore. As if, it wasn’t even there in the first place; but that was  _ impossible _ , right? The patrons should be evidence enough that Mark wasn’t hallucinating. 

_ Unless… the simulation is glitching and none of these people are real and I really am alone in this bookstore and- _

Mark’s thoughts were interrupted by a cheerful “Hey there, kid!” booming from what Mark assumed was the backroom.

He looked around, not sure if that greeting was directed to him, a 20-year-old  _ adult _ , but a quick sweep around the store confirmed his suspicions that yes, that greeting had been directed to him and no, owner of said voice did  _ not  _ care that it’s been years since he was last declared an adolescent. 

Mark stepped closer to the backroom, wanting to put a face to the voice he just heard when said person stepped out in all his 185 centimetre  _ glory _ , which shouldn’t be  _ legal  _ in this part of the world. 

“I’m Johnny. The owner,” The other had introduced, extending his hand for a handshake.

Mark could do this. He read about how to give firm handshakes. 

_ The book didn’t mention anything about giving firm handshakes to tall, gorgeous men though,  _ his brain supplied. Mark promptly tells it to  _ shut up _ before proceeding to give Johnny his firmest handshake.

Johnny looked pained. Mark wasn’t sure if that was the goal he was aiming for.

“I’m Mark,” He belatedly added on, long after Johnny had let go of his hand and way past what society deemed to be a normal, uncreepy time to introduce oneself. 

Johnny didn’t seem to mind though so Mark counted that as a win. 

“We don’t usually get new customers around. Just moved in?” Johnny asked as he prompted Mark to follow him to one of the shelves, a box of what Mark assumed to be new books in hand.

“Something like that? It’s been a few months but only now did I decide to do some exploring,” Mark explained, weirdly feeling ashamed at his lack of adventurousness. 

Johnny hummed at the comment, putting down his box as he stopped in front of the last shelf in the store, isolated from the rest.

Mark felt that eerie feeling creep in once again, one akin to walking through school hallways in the middle of a semester break. Empty, out of the ordinary. 

He looked around, noticing that the patrons of the store had dramatically reduced from the time Johnny had first called for him. It was unsettling. Something didn’t feel right.

“Say, what convinced you to do something  _ different  _ today?” Johnny asked, putting the labelled books onto the shelf one by one.

Now that Mark gave the situation a little more thought, he wondered why the last shelf, the one at the furthest back, was empty and needed re-stocking. It didn’t seem as if people even dared to venture to the back. How did the books get sold so easily?

Mark shook his head, ridding himself of his doubts. Now wasn’t the time to question how the asset turnover differs for different shelves of books.

“I guess I wanted to feel different,” Mark answered nonchalantly, with a shrug of his shoulders.

It was true in a way. His daily life was suffocating. He needed a break, a change of pace. One that would make him feel  _ alive _ , instead of just living. One that could actually make him  _ feel  _ emotions that weren’t stress or fatigue. One that made life feel like it’s worth living once more. 

So what if it was as minute as taking the long route home? It was a  _ change  _ and Mark welcomed it. Maybe he was desperate, maybe he was just  _ done. _

His short answer had caused Johnny to put the book he was currently holding on the shelf, before abandoning said fixture and taking a step closer to Mark instead. Mark stayed rooted to the ground, mostly out of confusion because he didn’t really think that his answer warranted a reaction of this kind. There was no emotion in his tone, no heart wrenching language that would cause Johnny to stop whatever task he was doing. It was plain and simple, just like how his life was currently.

Johnny stopped at a comfortable distance from Mark and put his hand on Mark’s shoulder.

“Do you enjoy reading?” Was a response Mark never expected to hear from this kind of situation. 

It was weird.

“Yeah?” Came Mark’s confused reply.

“Perfect,” Was all he got, as Johnny left to go to the backroom, Mark assumed.

Bewildered to no end, Mark decided to sit down on the floor, not minding that it probably hadn’t been swept for weeks. He didn’t expect his meeting with the owner of a seemingly old-fashioned bookstore to be such a whirlwind, devoiding him of his energy. 

Absentmindedly, his hand reached out to the cardboard box in front of him, dragging it forward until it hit his folded legs. Curiosity got the better of Mark and he reached down to take the first book his hand brushed against. He pulled it out, deciding that Johnny wouldn’t really mind as he  _ did  _ intend to put the book on the shelf to be sold.

_ An invitation to treat,  _ he heard in the voice of his Business Law lecturer. 

_ The Uprising _ , the title read.

Interested, Mark flipped to the back cover of the book, expecting to see either a generic dystopian young adult novel synopsis or quotes from apparently influential people he had never heard of before, only to be pleasantly surprised when he was greeted by a single line.

_ Hey, change your ways. _

Before he could stop himself, he opened the book, only to be plunged headfirst into the world of words.

The first thought Mark registered when he awoke with a start was ‘ _ Oh shit! I’m late!’ _ before belatedly remembering that it was a Saturday, hence no lectures nor tutorials.

He rubbed his face, trying to steady his beating heart when the next thought registered in his head.

_ I’m not at home. _

He rapidly dropped his hand and opened his eyes, trying to take in his surroundings he hadn’t noticed before.

He was on a bed. Not his bed that was soft and warm and inviting. No, it was rock hard. Solid. 

He thought of his previous whereabouts long and hard, desperate to find out just  _ why  _ he was sleeping in a stranger’s bed and how did he get here when it dawned on him.

_ Johnny’s bookstore! _

That had to mean that Mark was in some sort of dream, right? That he had fallen asleep whilst reading the book he picked out and that at any moment, he’ll wake up. 

With that comforting thought in mind, Mark decided to lay back on the bed, content with doing nothing when  _ another  _ thought had invaded his brain.

_ You can’t feel sensations in dreams, your sense of touch is cut off whenever you’re in dream mode. _

Which meant, Mark was either the only known human to experience sensations in dreams, or he wasn’t in a dream. That this was his  _ reality. _

The second option was clearly ridiculous so he made a mental note to report his newfound strange characteristic to NASA and maybe make some side income being their test subject.

He was in the middle of planning his dream vacation in Bora Bora when a knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. 

He yelled out a  _ ‘Coming!’  _ before opening the door, only to be met with the most beautiful stranger he had ever laid his eyes upon.

Pink, pouty lips that formed a heart, even when said boy was doing  _ nothing _ . A cute button nose perched right in between his perfectly  _ squishy  _ cheeks, paired with the most alluring brown eyes Mark had ever looked into. Eyes that looked at Mark questioningly, causing Mark to come out of his stupor and belatedly realise that he had been outright staring. 

Mark jumped back in a hurry, blushing a deep red as the stranger cleared his throat. 

“Excuse me,” He had said as he walked past Mark and into the bedroom, closing the door behind him.

Mark, unsure of what to do for the nth time that day, opted to stand still by the door. Although said stranger looked like the softest person alive, the aura he emitted was anything but. 

_ Dangerous, deadly,  _ supplied Mark’s mind. Mark had to agree with himself. His intuition was outperforming his braincells today. He should run for his life.

_ It’s kinda hot, though,  _ came another thought.

Mark decided to ignore that. Instead, he decided to shift his focus to the stranger in front of him who was studying him intently from across the room.

_ Okay, wrong move. _

“Where are you from?” Came the second unexpected question he received that day.

_ Well. There could be worse things to ask. _

“I was born and raised in Vancouver but I moved to Seoul when I was 10. So I would say, Vancouver maybe?” Mark answered. He never really gave a thought about this particular topic but now that he’s gone down that rabbit’s hole, he knew it would be there to haunt his thoughts when he can’t sleep.

“Funny boy, but does it look like I’m joking?” Came the stranger’s hostile answer.

To say Mark was confused was an understatement. He could not, for the life of him, figure out whatever in hell was going on.

“I’m not joking?” Mark stated, although the lilt in his tone at the end suggested otherwise.

The stranger rolled his eyes and made his way to the rock slab that was a poor excuse of a bed that Mark slept in previously. He sat down, crossing his legs, which caused Mark to realise, belatedly of course, how  _ oddly  _ the other was dressed.

It looked as if the Sims Castaway extension pack had a baby with the costumes for Blackpink’s  _ Kill This Love _ music video. Cargo pants made out of carefully threaded...  _ coconut husks?  _

Mark looked up to see that the stranger had  _ once again _ caught him staring but he felt less embarrassed than he did before, knowing that he was purely looking at the boy’s  _ unique  _ choice of trousers and  _ definitely  _ not at his caramel skin that seemed to peak out as he uncrossed his legs and folded them on his bed instead.

“Fine. I’ll play along for now. Are you gonna tell me that you came from the past and that you’re trying to stop whatever scheme we have going on that’ll result in the world’s demise? Is that it?” The stranger taunted.

_ The past? World demise?  _

“What? No! I’m just a 20-year-old boy who wants to finish my degree before my degree finishes me off first. Nothing as … _adventurous _... as literally ending the world what the _fuck?_” Frustration seeped into his tone.

Mark was tired. Granted, he just woke up probably half an hour ago but the events of yesterday and this morning was enough to drain him of his  _ fighting spirit  _ or whatever shit Jaemin, his bestfriend, meant by that. 

It was the stranger’s turn to show how frustrated he was with the situation. He let out an exhale, before messing up his hair and getting up. He took long strides towards Mark, causing Mark to take a step backward and backward, until his back collided with the wall. He let out an  _ ‘Oof!’  _ as the stranger in front of him grabbed him by his collar, eyes narrowing.

“Stop making up shit. We both know that you and I are from this timeline or universe or whatever the heck Johnny’s been rambling about. Cut the crap and start talking before I make you,” He threatened, and with every word, the grip on Mark’s collar tightened.

The fact that the beautiful yet hostile stranger  _ knew  _ who Johnny was and how said Johnny had been theorising about an alternate universe or timeline had caused the puzzle pieces that were previously jumbled up in Mark’s brain to align perfectly. The very real shove he felt, the fact that he had been  _ ‘stuck’ _ in this dream for way too long, the way that he was in control of most of his thoughts and actions. Not only that but the weirdly full but seemingly isolated bookstore, the quirky character that was Johnny himself, the very real feel of being head plunged into the book he opened before waking up in this…  _ alternate  _ universe.

“Holy fuck, I’m in an alternate universe,” Was the last thing Mark said before the door sprang open, causing the stranger in front of him to …  _ kiss him? _

Mark remained unmoving, too shocked to even begin formulating a response. He stood still as the stranger kissed his lips over and over again, slowly coaxing Mark to open up. After a few seconds, which felt like minutes, Mark hesitantly responded. The sound of surprise that escaped the stranger did not go unnoticed by Mark and soon, his eyes began to close. He was about to slip his hands onto the stranger’s waist when the sound of the door being closed was heard and in the next second, the stranger had shoved him off,  _ hard. _

“Fuck. The rats are here” He hissed, immediately gathering what Mark presumed to be his belongings and shoving them into a backpack. 

Mark was still rooted to the same spot, not believing the scene that played out just moments ago. The unknown boy in front of him had accused him of lying, threatened him and kissed him all in the span of 15 minutes and he  _ still  _ didn’t know his name.

“Just… who are you?” Mark voiced out, eliciting a scoff from the stranger.

“Literally  _ who  _ doesn’t know me. I’m on every wanted poster there is,” He replied, scrutinising Mark from head to toe.

Mark felt uncomfortable, being under the boy’s watchful gaze but he surrendered himself to his fate. The boy knew who Johnny was and Mark believed that the key to returning home was to get to him. He needed the boy’s guidance, no matter how much criminal activity the boy supposedly was involved with. He was stuck in a whole other universe he knew nothing about. Beggars can’t be choosers.

“Huh,” Was all the boy had said after a few moments.

“Huh?” Mark echoed, not understanding the source of his confusion.

“You’re dressed weird,” He said, stepping closer to Mark once again.

Mark looked down to his Nirvana graphic t-shirt he paired with some tight-fitting jeans and his favourite pair of Vans and frowned. He didn’t think he looked  _ that  _ bad. The stranger was just being rude.

“First I get accused of shit I didn’t do, then I get threatened, kissed and  _ insulted?  _ Look, you’re cute and all but there’s a limit to everything, including my patience. Johnny that  _ asshole _ probably cursed me into a whole other universe. I have other pressing matters to worry about apart from how I  _ dress _ , what the heck? I’m alone, I don’t know anyone here. Fuck, I don’t even know what kind of world I stepped into and my only human interaction is with a cryptic criminal of some kind who won’t even tell me his name. Or why he kissed me in the first place. Or why he’s being so  _ hostile.  _ Jesus, is it really that deep? Can’t we all just healthily communicate with each other for once? I’m so fucking  _ tired, _ ” Mark ranted. 

He’s had a long day and all he wanted to do was go back home and sleep. Hopefully for 12 hours straight. Preferably more. 

He slumped onto the ground, feeling the last of his strength leave him. He looked up and was shocked to see the stranger kneeling in front of him, looking unsure of what to do. He opted for awkwardly placing his hand on Mark’s shoulder, giving what Mark assumed to be comforting pats. It wasn't fair that he  _ still  _ looked cute to Mark.

“Look, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have been so harsh on you. You’re clearly not from this world. I see it now. I’m Lee Donghyuck, leader of the rebellion against our oppressive government who’s trying to control every aspect of our life.  _ That’s  _ why I’m a criminal. I kissed you because I needed a way to avoid detection from the government’s rats. I knew they were patrolling the area so when the door just randomly opened, I panicked. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done that. I also apologise for my hostile manner, it’s hard to figure out who you can trust in this kind of world. I’ll explain more later. We have to get going,” Donghyuck said, tugging Mark up by his arm. 

Mark hesitantly got up and was about to launch into another series of questions when he heard a siren go off.

“Fuck. They found us. Jump out the window,” Donghyuck ordered.

_ Jump out the what now? _

“What are you waiting for? An invitation? Hurry! We don’t have time,” Donghyuck hissed, shoving Mark to the window.

Mark cursed whatever entity  _ —  _ probably Johnny — that had led him to this very moment. He put a leg on the windowsill and peered down. It wasn’t that high up, probably a floor or two. It wouldn’t be enough to be fatal but it would definitely hurt like a bitch. 

The door burst open, causing Donghyuck to shout a  _ ‘Go!’  _ and pressuring Mark into action. He took a deep breath, said a quick prayer and jumped.

He remembered to keep his legs bent when he landed, a tip he came across in his high school physics textbook. He stood up, feeling slightly disoriented when another  _ thump  _ was heard beside him. He turned to the side, but before he could say anything more, Donghyuck had grabbed hold of his hand and ran. 

They ran and ran, passed abandoned highways and unmaintained houses. They ran past a small village and into the wilderness, only stopping when the trees reached a height as tall as buildings and it was nearly impossible for sunlight to poke through. It was dark and damp. Eerie. It felt like being trapped in The Void.

“We’ll be safe here, for now,” Donghyuck said as he dropped his bag to the ground and sat down, gesturing for Mark to do the same.

Mark prayed that his jeans would still be wearable after this whole ordeal. It was his favourite pair and they were  _ expensive _ . The only way Mark convinced himself that it was worth buying was that he planned on viewing it as a non-current asset, something with a useful life of more than one year. Only then would it be more value for money. Nevertheless, he sat down anyway.

“Okay, where do I start?” Donghyuck asked to no one in particular.

Mark had other ideas on how to approach the subject. That’s right, good old interrogation.

“What made you suddenly trust me?” He asked.

It had been bothering him ever since Donghyuck decided to apologise. It was a complete 180 from his previous behaviour. It didn’t add up.

Donghyuck let out a laugh, before smirking.

_ Uh oh. _

“You called me cute. No one from this world would even dare to use that adjective to describe me,” 

Mark opened his mouth to argue, only to close it a few seconds later. He could feel the tips of his ears burning, a clear indicator that he was blushing.

“That and you  _ are  _ dressed weird. It isn’t an insult, it’s just a statement. They don't look practical and the material used went extinct after The Abominable War happened in 2100. It wiped out three quarters of every species out there,” He continued.

Mark’s head was beginning to spin.

“That was also why I thought you were pulling my leg when you brought up Vancouver and Seoul. Now, those places aren’t named that anymore. The government re-bordered the world and gave those places different names. They go by numbers now. Seoul is 127. Vancouver? I’m not entirely sure,” 

When Mark had asked for a change in pace, he meant hanging out more with his close group of friends and maybe getting a cute boyfriend along the way. He most definitely did  _ not  _ ask to be transported into a book that dealt with dystopian future themes, forcing Mark to actually physically fight for his life. He didn’t have the correct survival skills. They didn’t teach this in university. He was going to get himself  _ killed  _ if he doesn’t escape immediately. Especially when he’s friendly with the  _ rebellion leader. _

“God I’d take that Finance test over this  _ any  _ day,” He sighed, dejected.

Donghyuck merely hummed in response before standing up again, causing Mark to do the same.

“Where are we going?” He asked, barely refraining himself from whining.

Donghyuck looked at him, amused.

“You really aren’t from this world,” He replied.

_ That literally didn’t answer my question but go off, I guess,  _ Mark thought, sullen.

“What’s your name, by the way?” Donghyuck asked as he started walking deeper into the forest.

“Mark Lee,” 

Donghyuck stopped walking abruptly which caused Mark to collide with his back.

“Johnny’s mentioned you before,” He said as he started walking again.

_ That can’t be right. I literally just met Johnny a few hours ago. Unless, time doesn’t work the same here? _

“Did he now? Only good things, I hope,” Mark chose to reply instead.

Donghyuck laughed, choosing not to answer. He opted to tell Mark his course of action for the day, which included scavenging for food and finding shelter before the sun sets. He told Mark about the various types of plants that were edible and to show him the plant first before consuming it. He even taught Mark how to differentiate poisonous mushrooms from harmless ones. 

They scouted for a safe campsite, one that’s away from rivers and predators. They searched for firewood, making sure it was as dry as possible and throwing away the damp ones. They even set up the tent together, once they’ve cleared the campsite of small, pointy rocks and dried up leaves. It felt almost  _ domestic  _ in a dystopian kind of way. Mark wasn’t sure what to make of it.

As the fire crackled and the Sun set, Mark had discovered that Donghyuck was a year younger than him. However, he was definitely more mature and wiser. Circumstances had forced him to grow up way earlier than needed. 

He was only 9 years old when his father, a promising scientist, had been taken away from him by government officials, demanding that he helped the government work on a few  _ projects _ . His mother, a renowned lawyer, was threatened into writing new laws for them, creating loopholes that could potentially enable the government to get away with crimes no one else could. At the tender age of fourteen, he had to fend for himself and his sister, who was only twelve at the time. 

They had ran off to the woods in a desperate attempt to run away from the social workers searching for them. There, he met his mentor, Moon Taeil, a man of many talents. It was him that taught Donghyuck and his sister how to hunt, how to harvest, how to fight. Taeil had introduced them to his family, as he called them, but none were related by blood. 

“That’s how I met Johnny,” Donghyuck explained, turning over the bird they were cooking for dinner over the fire they lit.

Mark made a mental note to call his family and friends the moment he returned home. He shouldn’t take them for granted. Not when there were people out there who had been forcefully separated from their families.

“Johnny. Is there a way for me to get in touch with him?” Mark asked.

Donghyuck looked at him, eyes narrowing.

“Why?” He asked.

_ Why else? _

“Johnny’s kind of the reason I’m here, I guess. Back in my universe, I went to visit his bookstore, got curious and decided to read a book and next thing I know, I’m here,” Mark explained briefly. 

Donghyuck nodded, seemingly accepting Mark’s explanation. He turned his attention back to the bird that was nearly cooked, before continuing the conversation once more.

“The thing with Johnny is, you’ll never be able to find him. Instead, he’ll find you. That’s just how he rolls,” Donghyuck said, tone apologetic.

Mark visibly deflated. Johnny was his only lead in figuring out how to escape. Without him, it would take ages -- that is, if he even managed to do so in the first place.

Donghyuck spared a glance at Mark, contemplating his decisions. He could technically help Mark with his quest to go back home but he had a lot on his plate right now. Like it or not, the weight of the revolution was on his shoulders. They’ve had multiple successes in inspiring people to riot, to break free. They couldn’t let the flame they stoked die down, not when it’s on the verge of spreading. It was a crucial turning point in their revolution and he couldn’t afford to lose focus now.

However, looking back at the other boy who looked so  _ lost _ , tugged at Donghyuck’s heartstrings. It reminded him of how he was four years ago.  _ Vulnerable _ .

He sighed, knowing that he had no other choice. Of course, he could leave Mark if he wanted to. Forget that they ever crossed paths but his conscience wouldn’t let him. He also couldn’t let Mark stay in this world, not when he was so obviously not made for it. He grew up privileged, in a world where governments still did their jobs and democracy was a thing, where peace was a thing. He wouldn’t survive. This world would break him.

With that in mind, Donghyuck cleared his throat, successfully garnering Mark’s attention.

“I’ll help you out,” He said.

The smile Mark gave him in return for that one simple sentence was blinding. It was distracting. Donghyuck couldn’t afford distractions.

“Tell me more about yourself,” Donghyuck opted to say instead, digging into his meal.

Mark paused, contemplating his answer.

“There’s not really much to say? My life’s pretty normal. My parents moved back to Vancouver when I left for Jeju to study. I major in Accounting and Finance. I play the guitar sometimes. Boring stuff,” Mark replied, nonchalantly.

Donghyuck was anything but bored. In fact, he was extremely intrigued.

“What’s education like? What’s a guitar? How do you even use it?” He asked, excited.

Mark was taken aback for a few seconds before realising that of course, he was living in a dystopia. It was a given that not everybody would be privileged enough to pursue education. He thought long and hard about how to approach the subject. He wanted to give Donghyuck a quality answer.

“Education is challenging, if I’m being honest. It’s not physically exhausting but it can take a toll on your mind if you’re not careful enough. It’s exhilarating in a way that you can find out more about topics you’re passionate about, understand the intuition behind the way things work, and the mechanics of it all. It’s amazing really, until assignment after assignment is piled onto you and you’re losing sleep and not eating enough just to make the deadlines. You end up sacrificing your physical and mental health for good grades and really, was it worth it in the end? When you’ll end up being stuck in a 9 to 5 job, trying to pay off your student loans in the first place?” 

Mark realised that was more of a word vomit than a quality answer. Donghyuck appreciated it nonetheless.

“And for the guitar bit, I’m not really sure how to describe it. I would show you a video of it but I don’t have my phone- Wait, do I have my phone with me?” Mark stopped explaining mid-way, frantically patting down his pockets.

He was sure he had brought it with him to the store and that it was on his body when he was forcefully teleported to this world. Could it be that the book had prevented the phone from being brought there?

_ Wait. The book! _

“Donghyuck! The book!” Mark exclaimed, eyes widening in excitement.

It was endearing but Donghyuck was perplexed. He was waiting for Mark to explain what a guitar was, when he suddenly mentioned phones and now books? What was he getting at?

“I was brought here through a book. Maybe I can get out through that very same book?” He theorised.

That made sense. That was a lead they could work with.

“Do you remember how it looked like?” Donghyuck asked, eager to help Mark in any way he can.

The excitement that was previously present in Mark disappeared in an instant. Donghyuck couldn’t help feeling guilty for killing Mark’s hopes. It was ridiculous. He wasn’t even responsible for it in the first place. Why was Mark making him feel this way?

“No matter how hard I think, I can’t seem to recall much,” He answered, dejected.

Donghyuck decided to try the whole interrogation thing. It worked when Mark used it on him. Maybe it could work on Mark?

“Well, what made it stand out to you in the first place?” He questioned.

Now this, Mark was certain he knew. He just had to trace back his thought pattern. What would he usually do when deciding whether to give books a try or not?

_ I would read the description. But what made this particular book’s description so unique? _

“The book’s description wasn’t what I expected,” Mark answered. He  _ knew _ the answer was right there in front of him. He just had to think a bit more.

“What do you usually expect, then?” 

This was a no-brainer. Mark could answer this in his sleep.

“The usual. Generic dystopian plots, book reviews from apparently important people in the writing industry, and the likes,” 

_ What made this book so different? _

It was frustrating. It felt like the answer was taunting him. He just needed one more push, one more nudge towards the right direction. A subtle hint. 

“Huh, maybe interrogating you isn’t the best option. I guess I should change my ways, then,” Donghyuck nonchalantly commented.

_ Hold the fuck up. _

“Hey, change your ways,” Mark whispered, comprehension dawning upon him.

He stood up and looked at the sky, not believing help was actually given when he asked for it. He looked back down, shaking his head and slightly laughing at the absurdity of it all. How could he have forgotten? A quote that had spoken to his  _ soul _ . The literal answer to his prayers. 

_ “What convinced you to do something different today? _ ”  _ “I just wanted to feel different,” _

And in order to do so, he had to  _ change his ways _ . 

“Hey, change your ways,” He repeated, louder this time.

Donghyuck was looking at him as if he’d gone crazy but Mark wasn’t going to let one cute boy’s judgement of him rain on his parade. He had solved two mysteries in a row. He was on a  _ roll. _

_ Sherlock Holmes got nothing on me! _

“How’d you know the revolution’s motto?” Donghyuck asked warily, causing Mark to stop the celebration he had going on in his head. 

The book’s description was the revolution’s motto.  _ Of course. _

“It was written on the back of the book,” Mark answered earnestly. He didn’t want to lose Donghyuck’s trust, not when it took quite a lot of convincing (mostly embarrassing declarations) on his part.

Donghyuck stared at Mark a bit longer before finally standing up, and setting his now empty tin container down. He made his way towards Mark, each step causing Mark’s heartbeat to accelerate. Donghyuck was unpredictable, scarily so. Mark didn’t know what to expect. 

Donghyuck slowly raised his hand, causing Mark to stop breathing altogether. What was Donghyuck going to do? Punch him? Stab him? Kiss him again? Some part of Mark hoped it was the latter but he knew there weren’t any government agents in the vicinity they had to fool. He was going to get punched, wasn’t he?

_ I mean, if I kept being told my existence was merely due to someone stringing along words together to form sentences and somehow a whole world, I would be pissed too. _

Mark braced himself for the impact, fists clenched, eyes closed, when a hand  _ gently  _ landed on his head, softly patting his hair. Confused, Mark cracked an eye open. 

“It’s going to be okay. We’ll get through this,” Donghyuck said as he continued stroking Mark’s hair.

It felt comforting to know that someone he just met was there for him, and that said person actually believed in Mark enough to help him make his way home. He felt heard, validated. As if some burden was lifted off his shoulders. Possibly the burden to prove that he wasn’t lying. Although Donghyuck  _ did  _ imply that he trusted Mark’s alternate universe story, there was no confirmation that Donghyuck was telling the truth. The boy said so himself, that it was hard to trust people in this world and for someone who’s been exposed to so many bad situations, it was a miracle he believed in Mark’s story as fast as he did. It’s true that Mark  _ did  _ make it quite obvious with the clothes he was wearing and the places he had been talking about, it would take a leap of faith to decide whether he was bluffing or telling the truth. It felt nice to be trusted. So nice, even, that it almost made Mark tear up.  _ Almost. _

Mark offered Donghyuck a small smile, grateful for all the help he’s given so far. Donghyuck gave a smile back in return, momentarily taking Mark’s breath away and promptly making him decide he would do  _ anything _ to see that smile directed at him again.

Maybe he could tolerate living in this dystopian world when he’s got Lee Donghyuck by his side. 


	2. attraction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> mark discovers that some things just can't be denied

Mark awoke to the feel of a foot poking at the side of his thigh. Which was all fine and dandy until he realised he lived  _ alone  _ in a  _ studio apartment. _

This had caused him to jerk awake for the second time in a row, much to the discontentment of the body laying beside him. He rubbed his eyes, slowly trying to make sense of things when it hit him.

_ Donghyuck. _

He turned to the side, seeing the beautiful boy he met the day prior curling in, puffs of air from his mouth causing his bangs to fly up slightly. He looked as if he was at peace. It was endearing.

Mark shook his head, wanting to get rid of his thoughts. Donghyuck and him were from different universes. It wouldn’t be beneficial for him to go and develop feelings for him, now would it? He doubted that romance was one of the things that Donghyuck had in mind, not with how preoccupied he seemed to be with his whole revolution.

He sighed before sitting up, trying to stretch as much as he could in the cramped tent. Donghyuck had only one tent on him, which made sense, since the boy had been travelling alone all this while. Mark had suggested to just sleep outside but Donghyuck had simply rolled his eyes and pushed Mark inside. He didn’t know whether to feel insulted that Donghyuck thought he couldn’t handle some mosquitoes or honoured that Donghyuck trusted him enough to let him sleep beside him. 

He didn’t know how much time had passed. When they both went to sleep, it was already pitch black. When he awoke, it was still pitch black. He hadn’t heard any birds chirping so he reached the conclusion that it must still be around two to three in the morning. 

“Why are you up?” Donghyuck had mumbled. Had it not been pin-drop silence, Mark wouldn’t have been able to discern what the other boy was saying.

“I couldn’t sleep,” He answered. It was partially true. He  _ did  _ have a hard time trying to sleep again.

He could hear Donghyuck shuffling about before sitting up beside him, groggily rubbing his eyes as he tried to keep himself awake. Mark looked at him questioningly.

_ Why? _

Donghyuck offered no answer. Mark was beginning to feel things. This wasn’t a part of the plan.

“Guess we’ll start the day early, then,” Donghyuck said as he zipped open the tent.

“You can just… I don’t know, go back to sleep? I can keep watch or something, I don’t mind,” Mark suggested, causing Donghyuck to pause in his tracks.

“That won’t be necessary,” He said, after awhile.

Donghyuck stretched his limbs and proceeded to head out.

_ Is this his way of saying that he’ll keep me company? _

Mark’s brain should learn not to think thoughts that’s going to leave him with a broken heart. 

With that in mind, Mark followed Donghyuck’s lead and exited the tent. He zipped the tent back up and made his way to the dying fire they lit the night before.

“Besides, it seems like you could use the company,” Donghyuck added after awhile, yawning. 

_ Fuck. _

Mark willed himself to get a  _ grip  _ before sitting down beside the younger, reminding himself that  _ this _ was temporary. Once he returned back to his world, Donghyuck would forget about him in a heartbeat. It would probably take a bit longer for Mark but he was confident that once Professor Jung released the case study he was supposed to work on for Introductory Financial Accounting, he would soon forget Donghyuck ever existed.

“How did you find me, by the way?” Mark asked, swallowing other questions that would get  _ personal _ , that’ll make an impact in Mark’s life. Questions that’ll make it hard for him to forget.

He watched as Donghyuck poked at the fire using a stick, trying to keep it alive and flaming. He threw in some dried leaves they’d gathered earlier, a small satisfied smile showing up after he had successfully kept the fire lit.

“I had to do some recon and on my way back, I saw you lying by the side of the road. I thought that you were crazy for doing something so reckless out in the open so I had no choice but to bring you back with me to where I was staying. You know the rest,” He recounted.

_ That was anticlimactic. Super embarrassing on my part but still, anticlimactic. _

“I’m sorry for troubling you. I promise I’ll get out of your hair soon,” Mark responded, feeling guilty. He had an inkling that  _ he  _ was the reason why the government agents had managed to trace Donghyuck’s whereabouts. If only he hadn’t been sent here. 

If only they hadn’t met.

“It’s no trouble. Besides, it’s nice to have someone my age to hang out with, even for a while. Makes me feel normal,” Donghyuck said, looking at Mark.

The slight surprise was evident on Mark’s face, causing Donghyuck to chuckle. Soon, Mark joined in on his laughter and the once awkward atmosphere, dissipated. Conversation had flowed naturally after that.

“So you’re telling me, a nuclear war  _ did  _ happen and some people managed to  _ survive? _ ” Mark asked, disbelieving. His whole life was a lie.

“As you’ve said, I  _ am  _ living in a book, aren’t I? It doesn’t have to make sense. It just happened,” Donghyuck replied, nonchalantly.

“You’re taking this whole ‘existing only in a book’ thing quite well,” Mark decided to respond.

Donghyuck smiled, shaking his head.

“To be honest, I’m still finding it hard to believe. The fact that my people have suffered so much, that I’ve suffered so much, is due to someone writing about it so they could sell our story to others for entertainment purposes. That my whole life is predetermined for me. That whatever I do or whatever I say, wasn’t my doing. It’s not a great feeling, I’ll tell you that,” He confessed. 

Mark didn’t quite believe that was the case for Donghyuck. Surely the author couldn’t have predicted someone from the real world getting sucked into the world they wrote and messing up the plot, right? Maybe this book didn’t have an author. It had Donghyuck, instead. The one who made it all possible.

“I think you’re the author of your own story,” Mark replied, low. He was convinced that  _ this  _ Donghyuck would move mountains if he wishes to do so. No author was capable of dictating Donghyuck, that’s for sure.

Donghyuck raised an eyebrow. 

“Are you saying I’m writing my own sufferings? Damn, didn’t know I was a sadist,” He joked, allowing himself a small smile.

Mark knew he was joking, of course but something in him  _ wanted  _ to comfort Donghyuck. To tell Donghyuck that he was so much more than just another protagonist. He kind of knew why, but he didn’t want to dwell on it. Not now, at least. Not when the situation warranted some correcting on Mark’s behalf.

“Remember when I said the book was unique?” Mark asked, looking directly into Donghyuck’s eyes. 

Donghyuck nodded, not really sure where Mark was heading with that. If Mark was being quite honest with himself, he had no idea either. So, he decided to wing it and let his brain take full reign.

“The quote was what drew me in. I was feeling kinda  _ off  _ lately and it felt as if it was talking directly to me. You told me that this was the revolution’s motto, right? And since you’re rebellion leader and all, I’m sure you had a hand in choosing what message to spread. If it wasn’t you who created it, it was you who approved of it. This goes to show how much weight your words carry, how important they are that the author, or whoever etched it onto the back of the book in the first place, decided that that one phrase was necessary to capture the book’s essence.  _ You _ are the book. The main character, the focus of the story. The author had  _ you  _ in mind when they wrote it. Sure, some stuff might be predetermined. You know, all that destiny and fate talk but remember, the author took into account what  _ you  _ would have done based on your personality, your characteristics. The chain of events that’ll happen afterwards is just a domino effect from your choice, Donghyuck. You’re not  _ just  _ another character written for entertainment purposes. You’re integral to the story and without you, there would be nothing,” 

So maybe Mark shouldn’t have let his brain did that but the damage had been done. The words had been uttered and heard by the boy in front of him. They couldn’t be taken back. Mark was just going to have to deal with the consequences.

_ Which might not necessarily be bad,  _ his brain supplied as he witnessed the steady blush blooming on Donghyuck’s cheeks. The younger looked everywhere except Mark, not knowing what to say or how to react for the first time. Mark had actually managed to make the  _ rebellion leader  _ speechless. Maybe he should count that as a win.

“Uh, thanks,” Donghyuck managed after a moment.

Mark grinned, satisfied with his reaction. He  _ definitely  _ counted that as a win.

Soon, the sound of birds chirping could be heard, signalling the start of the day and the beginning of Mark and Donghyuck’s trek to the rebellion’s base. He explained that there was a library they could use, and they just might find Mark’s book there. Even on the off chance that they don’t, Johnny might make a surprise appearance any time and hopefully, Mark could get some answers from him.

“We don’t usually travel by day,” Donghyuck explained as he cut off the vines that were blocking their way.

Mark, visibly panting, stopped to take a breather.

“Why?” He breathed out.

Donghyuck merely chuckled, extending his hand for Mark to take after their five minute break was up.

“To lessen the risk of detection,” He grinned, stealing Mark’s breath away. Which wasn’t good because Mark was already out of breath in the first place. He might need an additional ten minutes to recuperate. 

Painfully unaware of Mark’s internal struggle, Donghyuck had tugged onto Mark’s hand, pulling Mark forward and forcing him to trudge on. Mark then decided if Donghyuck was going to keep holding his hand, he wouldn’t mind going jungle trekking daily. Who cares about the jungle’s humidity or the scary insects? Certainly not Mark. He was a brave boy. He could take them on.

Belatedly, Donghyuck released his hand, causing Mark to rethink his previous stance on the jungle. Donghyuck cleared his throat, cheeks burning once again. 

“We should, uh, get going,” 

And with that, they continued the rest of their trek. There was no more hand holding, much to Mark’s disappointment, but the stories they shared with each other to pass the time made up for it. Mark felt as if he was getting to know the real Donghyuck. Not the rebellion leader, but the boy within. He wondered just how differently they would’ve been had they met under different circumstances. If this was just one of those camping expeditions his university’s hiking club seemed to host. If Donghyuck was just another camper.

For the umpteenth time that day, Mark shook his head. It was getting more and more difficult to deny that he had developed a tiny crush on the younger. Not with how much time they were spending alone and just how much about the younger Mark managed to uncover. Like how he liked to sing.

“God, I would kill to collaborate with you,” Mark uttered after Donghyuck sang the song his mother used to sing to him. The lyrics were morbid and eerie for a nursery rhyme. Mark didn’t know if it was a Donghyuck thing or a dystopia thing. Whatever it was, it didn’t change the fact that Donghyuck’s voice sounded like heaven.

“Will you now?” He replied, amused. The twinkling of Donghyuck’s eyes didn’t go unnoticed by Mark. 

“Yeah,” Mark answered, breathless.

There really was no use denying it. For as long as Mark lived in Donghyuck’s world, his feelings for the younger would only get stronger. He really needed to get out,  _ quick _ .

It was around noon when Donghyuck decided that they should take a break. He explained that the base was only a few more hours away, so they had time to spare before the Sun set yet again. They had managed to locate a stream, in which Donghyuck caught them their lunch with his bare hands. Mark, trying to make himself useful, offered to light up the fire while Donghyuck deboned the fish he single-handedly caught. Lunch went by in a blur and soon, Donghyuck was stomping the remains of the fire they had lit and continued on with their journey.

Mark realised just how many things he had taken for granted back in his world. Transportation, although sometimes unreliable, was fucking  _ godsent.  _ Not to mention electricity, and basically any other modern technology he had ever encountered in his life. He was starting to miss the lightbulb in his room that would go off at odd times, no matter how much it used to freak him out.

Donghyuck’s generation had to reap what Mark’s generation had sown. Or well, the generations after Mark. After the nuclear war left the Earth inhabitable, it was as if the remaining occupants had to travel back in time and live as their great ancestors did. All technology had stopped working, completely destroyed by the nuclear radiation. Most of the soil was too toxic to work with and by then, almost all of the Earth’s natural resources had been depleted.

“How did they survive then?” Mark asked. It didn’t make sense. If the air quality was horrendous, and they had no access to food or clean water, how did they manage to live?

“That’s something the government wouldn’t disclose,” Donghyuck answered, bothered.

_ What a strange fact to conceal,  _ Mark thought. He was beginning to see why Donghyuck thought a revolution was necessary.

“How did they even get their power in the first place? Who elected them?” Mark enquired. This couldn’t be legal. He had been to a total of six Business Law lectures, and although none of the legal principles dealt with government formation, he was sure it was highly illegal.

“The people in charge, they’ve been in power long before I was born. I wouldn’t know. The first generation of leaders were probably made out of the white-collared professionals that survived. People with knowledge, that could help rebuild society, that kind of thing. It was definitely beneficial at first but when you’ve stayed in power for too long, I guess that’s when greed changes you,” 

Mark nodded, giving Donghyuck’s words some thought. It wasn’t that far off from the reality he was in, with the wealthiest 20% of the world population owning 80% of the wealth. It was scary to think that maybe, just maybe, his world was already hurtling towards a dystopian fate.

“After a few hundred years, the Earth heals itself. Humans learn how to adapt. We rebuild our technology but the freedom we had? That’s lost forever. The ruling government decided that had we continued with our democracy, we would go down that path once again. When too many people had conflicting ideas and the freedom to express them, war will break out. They reasoned that it would be easier if there was just  _ one _ . No conflicts, no war right? In theory, it kind of made sense in a way. In practice? Not so. Especially not when they put  _ class divisions _ of all things. They say it’s to make us easier to organise. I say it’s bullshit,” 

Silence engulfed the two of them as Mark processed Donghyuck’s words. He found himself thinking why someone as young as Donghyuck, had to shoulder a burden this big. He shouldn’t be worrying about the safety and prosperity of the world, he should be worrying about young adult things. Stuff like passing his finals and what to eat for dinner when hanging out with friends. It was unfair. It wasn’t supposed to be Donghyuck’s job. 

“Someone had to do it,” Donghyuck simply answered when asked about it.

Mark found him admirable. He kind of wants to marry Donghyuck.

Burying that thought deep inside his mind (and heart), they resumed their journey to the base. They exchanged stories and experiences along the way, with Mark telling Donghyuck about that One Time he travelled to another country for a day all by himself to catch a Coldplay concert and Donghyuck telling Mark about how his second-in-command, a guy who goes by the name Lucas, had taught him how to ride a mechanical horse. With each passing story, they came to realise that despite their personality and background differences, they  _ clicked _ .

“I wish you could step into my world,” Mark said after a particularly long laughing fit induced by Donghyuck’s joke.

The laughter that escaped Donghyuck’s lips sounded better than Mark’s favourite song. Mark stared, entranced.

“Yeah, that would be nice,” Was all he said, smile still lingering on his lips.

After what felt like seconds when in reality hours had passed, they reached the base.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HOLY SHIT I HAVENT UPDATED IN MONTHS JSDFHSDK im super super sorry for the slow update life really be getting in the way djhfdksf i'll try to update this story more often!! (its one of my fave stories to write, tbh) so yeah!! if you're still here omg thank you so much for your support THIS ONE'S FOR U GUYS!!
> 
> twitter: @hyuckieee  
cc: link in twitter bio 
> 
> i deadass still dk how to link lmao

**Author's Note:**

> you knew this was coming
> 
> twitter | cc
> 
> [edited: apparently i still dk how to link so ig yall have to search me manually hdjd my twitter is @hyuckieee and yall can find the link to my cc on my bio uwu thanks!]
> 
> JFSJDFH ok u guys know me well u know i wont write a note with like less than 20 words so uhhhh im gonna try making this fic chaptered and!!! update regularly!!! and hopefully keep the updates more than 5k words per chapter but uh those are my plans (assuming uni won't sabotage me can i get an f) hope u guys enjoyed it! it's kinda different from my usualy writing style? i think? so ahhh leave your thoughts on my cc and twitter uwu thanks for reading! <3333


End file.
